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Authors: Kerry Barrett
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Suky said. She looked slightly happier.
We spent the rest of her time in the hospital chatting about anything and everything trivial and inane. Celebrities’ haircuts. The latest drama in EastEnders . Whether that reality star was pregnant again. But I kept thinking about what Suky had said about the customers at the café. Could she be right about people turning against them?
When the session was over, I called Brent.
‘I’m just around the corner,’ he told me. ‘Be there in five.’
Suky was wiped out and wanted to sit in the back, so I was forced to climb into the passenger seat for the trip home. Dreading making small talk, I tried to study the landscape, but Brent was determined to make me chat.
And actually, once I’d lost my sulkiness, I discovered he was really interesting.
‘I just got out at the right time,’ he told me about his property business, which he’d sold just before the recession. ‘And then a friend, who’d gone into politics, recommended me for a role. I worked on the last election campaign and then when it was all over, I decided to take a break for a while.’
He wasn’t married, he told me, and had broken up with his fiancée during the campaign.
‘Working twenty-hour days doesn’t really make for a happy family life,’ he said with a wry smile.
By the time we got home, I’d almost started to warm to this preppy American with his overenthusiastic approach to life.
As we pulled up outside Mum’s house, he turned to me.
‘Suky has to have radiotherapy every day, right?’ he said.
I nodded. ‘For three weeks.’
‘Let me drive her,’ he said.
I shook my head. ‘No, it’s too much.’
‘Nonsense. It’s not a long drive and it’s better for her to go in comfort.’
I could see he was right.
‘If you’re sure,’ I said.
‘Positive.’ He beamed at me, his teeth dazzling white in the gloomy light.
‘You see,’ Suky said, as I helped her into the house. ‘I told you he was nice.’
Chapter 13
But Suky’s next treatment was delayed when she came down with a cold. I was woken by voices the next morning, then the front door banged. I gave in and swung my legs out of bed and stomped, bleary-eyed, into the kitchen to pour myself a coffee.
There was no sign of Mum or Suky but Eva was there, looking disgustingly perky in a pink tunic covered in tiny mirrors and reading The Guardian .
‘Morning,’ I said, sitting opposite her. ‘Where’s everyone gone?’
‘Suky’s come down with a terrible cold,’ Eva said. ‘We’re not sure if she can still go to the hospital, so she and Tess have gone to see the doctor. He’s been great through all this – he’ll tell her what to do.’
I was impressed.
‘Doctor’s appointment on a Saturday, eh?’ I smiled. ‘That’d never happen in London.’
‘Well, it’s mostly because we know James,’ Eva pointed out. ‘His dad has been a good friend to all of us.’
With my head bent over my coffee, I froze.
‘James Brodie?’ I repeated. ‘My James?’
Eva laughed, then stopped when she saw my face.
‘Oh sweetheart, did no one tell you? Yes, your James. He’s come home to take over his dad’s practice for a while.’ She got up and dropped a kiss on the top of my head. ‘You’re not upset are you?’
‘It was a long time ago,’ I said in a squeaky voice. ‘I’m over it now.’
‘Good,’ Eva said, watching me carefully.
I forced myself to smile at her in an over-it kind of way.
‘What are you doing today?’ I asked, trying hard to keep my voice less squeaky.
‘No rest for the wicked,’ she said happily. ‘I’m off for a walk round the loch, then I’m going to open up. Fancy coming?’
I shook my head.
‘I’ll come down later,’ I said. I really wanted to be alone and absorb the news that Jamie was back in town. Jamie. My first true love and the reason I’d left all those years ago.
Eva scooped up her purse and keys from underneath our fat black cat, Bonnie, who looked most
We spent the rest of her time in the hospital chatting about anything and everything trivial and inane. Celebrities’ haircuts. The latest drama in EastEnders . Whether that reality star was pregnant again. But I kept thinking about what Suky had said about the customers at the café. Could she be right about people turning against them?
When the session was over, I called Brent.
‘I’m just around the corner,’ he told me. ‘Be there in five.’
Suky was wiped out and wanted to sit in the back, so I was forced to climb into the passenger seat for the trip home. Dreading making small talk, I tried to study the landscape, but Brent was determined to make me chat.
And actually, once I’d lost my sulkiness, I discovered he was really interesting.
‘I just got out at the right time,’ he told me about his property business, which he’d sold just before the recession. ‘And then a friend, who’d gone into politics, recommended me for a role. I worked on the last election campaign and then when it was all over, I decided to take a break for a while.’
He wasn’t married, he told me, and had broken up with his fiancée during the campaign.
‘Working twenty-hour days doesn’t really make for a happy family life,’ he said with a wry smile.
By the time we got home, I’d almost started to warm to this preppy American with his overenthusiastic approach to life.
As we pulled up outside Mum’s house, he turned to me.
‘Suky has to have radiotherapy every day, right?’ he said.
I nodded. ‘For three weeks.’
‘Let me drive her,’ he said.
I shook my head. ‘No, it’s too much.’
‘Nonsense. It’s not a long drive and it’s better for her to go in comfort.’
I could see he was right.
‘If you’re sure,’ I said.
‘Positive.’ He beamed at me, his teeth dazzling white in the gloomy light.
‘You see,’ Suky said, as I helped her into the house. ‘I told you he was nice.’
Chapter 13
But Suky’s next treatment was delayed when she came down with a cold. I was woken by voices the next morning, then the front door banged. I gave in and swung my legs out of bed and stomped, bleary-eyed, into the kitchen to pour myself a coffee.
There was no sign of Mum or Suky but Eva was there, looking disgustingly perky in a pink tunic covered in tiny mirrors and reading The Guardian .
‘Morning,’ I said, sitting opposite her. ‘Where’s everyone gone?’
‘Suky’s come down with a terrible cold,’ Eva said. ‘We’re not sure if she can still go to the hospital, so she and Tess have gone to see the doctor. He’s been great through all this – he’ll tell her what to do.’
I was impressed.
‘Doctor’s appointment on a Saturday, eh?’ I smiled. ‘That’d never happen in London.’
‘Well, it’s mostly because we know James,’ Eva pointed out. ‘His dad has been a good friend to all of us.’
With my head bent over my coffee, I froze.
‘James Brodie?’ I repeated. ‘My James?’
Eva laughed, then stopped when she saw my face.
‘Oh sweetheart, did no one tell you? Yes, your James. He’s come home to take over his dad’s practice for a while.’ She got up and dropped a kiss on the top of my head. ‘You’re not upset are you?’
‘It was a long time ago,’ I said in a squeaky voice. ‘I’m over it now.’
‘Good,’ Eva said, watching me carefully.
I forced myself to smile at her in an over-it kind of way.
‘What are you doing today?’ I asked, trying hard to keep my voice less squeaky.
‘No rest for the wicked,’ she said happily. ‘I’m off for a walk round the loch, then I’m going to open up. Fancy coming?’
I shook my head.
‘I’ll come down later,’ I said. I really wanted to be alone and absorb the news that Jamie was back in town. Jamie. My first true love and the reason I’d left all those years ago.
Eva scooped up her purse and keys from underneath our fat black cat, Bonnie, who looked most
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